NJs $21.4 Million Investment in Litter Reduction

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is ramping up statewide efforts to remove litter from local communities and improve water quality across New Jersey by distributing $21.4 million in Clean Communities grants this year, an approximate $700k increase over 2021’s disbursement.

In total, the DEP is awarding nearly $19.1 million to eligible municipalities and $2.3 million to the state’s 21 counties.

The nonprofit New Jersey Clean Communities Council oversees the reporting requirements for the program. Disbursement of funds is based on housing units and miles of municipally owned roadways.

“Municipalities and counties are strongly encouraged to use these grants to organize volunteer cleanups, pay employees to pick up litter, purchase badly needed cleanup equipment and promote education activities and enforcement,” said JoAnn Gemenden, Executive Director of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council. “We are grateful for funding that helps keep New Jersey litter-free. We are proud to serve as an educational resource for communities, as we drive many of our campaigns to engage the younger generations to help mold positive, long-term anti-litter behaviors.”

Litter comes from pedestrians, motorists, overflowing household garbage, construction sites, uncovered trucks, and more. Litter is often blown by the wind until becoming trapped somewhere, such as a fence, ditch, or gully. People tend to feel emboldened to litter when an area is already littered, and when they lack a sense of ownership or community pride.

Activities funded by Clean Communities grants include:

• volunteer litter cleanups
• litter-related education
• cleanups of stormwater systems that can disperse trash into streams, rivers, and bays
• volunteer cleanups of public properties
• adoption and enforcement of local anti-littering ordinances
• beach cleanups
• public information and education programs
• purchases of litter collections equipment such as receptacles, recycling bins, anti-litter signs, and graffiti removal supplies
• reusable bags to promote NJs single-use plastics law

Municipalities receiving the largest grants this year include:

• Jersey City, Hudson County, $462,879
• Newark, Essex County, $453,723
• Toms River, Ocean County, $227,480
• Paterson, Passaic County, $206,579
• Hamilton, Mercer County, $194,686 
• Edison, Middlesex County, $184,810
• Elizabeth, Union County, $184,727
• Woodbridge, Middlesex County, $181,095
• Brick, Ocean County, $170,308
• Middletown, Monmouth County, $157,330
• Cherry Hill, Camden County, $155,560
• Lakewood, Ocean County, $145,844
• Trenton, Mercer County, $145,143
• Clifton, Passaic County, $141,522
• Franklin, Somerset County, $141,492
• Vineland, Cumberland County, $136,630
• Berkeley, Ocean County, $133,439
• Gloucester Township, Camden County, $129,188
• Old Bridge, Middlesex County, $124,018
• Howell, Monmouth County, $123,522
• Camden, Camden County, $123,484 
• Jackson, Ocean County, $119,285
• East Orange, Essex County, $113,991
• Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris County, $113,932
• Manchester, Ocean County, $112,263 
• Bayonne, Hudson County, $111,904 
• Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, $110,690 
• Wayne, Passaic County, $107,760
• Monroe Township, Middlesex County, $105,240
• Piscataway, Middlesex County, $103,344 
• Evesham Township, Burlington County, $101,924
• Hoboken, Hudson County, $101,590
• East Brunswick, Middlesex County, $100,703
• Bridgewater, Somerset County, $100,439

Counties receiving grants of at least $100,000 include:

• Ocean, $216,879
• Cumberland, $190,042
• Burlington, $177,988
• Bergen, $155,656
• Gloucester, $145,797
• Camden, $139,678
• Monmouth, $133,527
• Atlantic, $131,163
• Salem, $126,562
• Middlesex, $110,889 
• Sussex, $110,437
• Morris, $100,624

Within Morris County, the following municipalities will receive:

• BOONTON TOWN $18,320.82
• BOONTON TWP $12,485.97
• BUTLER BORO $16,554.24
• CHATHAM BORO $16,793.84
• CHATHAM TWP $22,548.08
• CHESTER BORO $4,283.27
• CHESTER TWP $29,185.68
• DENVILLE TWP $43,189.05
• DOVER TOWN $27,443.03
• EAST HANOVER TWP $24,692.47
• FLORHAM PARK BORO $24,474.24
• HANOVER TWP $34,653.11
• HARDING TWP $11,637.72
• JEFFERSON TWP $56,419.75
• KINNELON BORO $22,530.02
• LINCOLN PARK BORO $23,062.15
• LONG HILL TWP $21,888.85
• MADISON BORO $30,437.12
• MENDHAM BORO $11,814.62
• MENDHAM TWP $22,902.56
• MINE HILL TWP $8,792.48
• MONTVILLE TWP $51,734.15
• MORRIS PLAINS BORO $14,018.62
• MORRIS TWP $54,819.17
• MORRISTOWN TOWN $36,539.34
• MOUNT ARLINGTON BORO $13,413.58
• MOUNT OLIVE TWP $67,766.55
• MOUNTAIN LAKES BORO $10,941.33
• NETCONG BORO $6,668.27
• PARSIPPANY-TROY HILLS TWP $113,932.96
• PEQUANNOCK TWP $33,814.17
• RANDOLPH TWP $60,460.54
• RIVERDALE BORO $9,326.48
• ROCKAWAY BORO $13,377.44
• ROCKAWAY TWP $57,195.59
• ROXBURY TWP $54,236.36
• VICTORY GARDENS BORO $4,000.00
• WASHINGTON TWP $53,952.69
• WHARTON BORO $12,824.45

See the full list of grant award recipients here.

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